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New program focuses on mental health care for children

Effingham Daily News - 6/13/2017

June 13--Helping children to strengthen coping skills, so they can best weather the storms of life is one goal of a new program in Effingham.

"Life is complicated for kids nowadays," said Kat Carey, a youth and family counselor who has 25 years of experience working with children and families.

ICARE Kids, comes to Effingham through a two-year grant obtained from LifeLinks in Coles County from the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation, in the amount of $421,196. The program adds mental health to the physical and dental services provided at 900 W. Temple, Suite 208.

While ICARE focuses primarily on mental health for children, ages 5 to 18, insured by Medicaid, the program is expected to be available to Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation pediatric and adolescent patients in seven sites by early 2018. It is currently serving Effingham Health Center, Charleston Health Center, Mattoon Medical Center and Cumberland County Health Center in Greenup.

"Just as it is important to learn math, it is also important to learn to cope with strong emotions -- sadness, fear, frustration," said Carey. "We don't look at people as though something needs fixed. We like to build on what they are doing right."

The program is intended to help young people with mild to moderate behavioral issues and often treatment of depression, anxiety, anger issues and adjustment issues.

"One of the reasons we're partnering with a doctor's office is because we want to get away from the stigma of mental illness," said Carey. "We want to treat the whole individual. You can't separate the mind from the body."

Carey added that the ultimate goal is to help children be happy.

Also, helping young people cope with stress in a positive manner is another goal. Issues that bring up problems sometimes stem from a divorce, death, separation, or dealing with parents who are addicts.

"The goal is to make their life more comfortable," said Michele Dallmier, family nurse practitioner with the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation. "Every child gets an evaluation. If they need someone to talk to, we're here."

ICARE stands for Innovative, Coordinated, Accessible, Research-based and Efficient, said Jamie Miller, RN, office manager for SIHF Effingham.

Miller added that SIHF is there to offer support to the child and the entire family, providing medical, dental and behavioral care to help the children grow well physically and emotionally.

Callie Livingston, ICARE Kids Program coordinator, said treatment plans are goals the clinician and family set together.

"Each child receives a mental health assessment and the clinician creates an individualized treatment plan to help the child and their family reach their goals in counseling," said Livingston.

Carey said while medication interventions can be helpful, it should be coupled with therapy to learn life coping skills that stay with the child forever.

"We don't expect parents to have the skills a trained therapist would have," said Carey. "That's one of the things I love about being here. Their parents are buying into the idea and we work together."

By the end of 2017, ICARE Kids will open at three more sites in Olney, Salem and Vandalia.

The program is expected to serve 5,700 patients in six counties -- Cumberland, Coles, Effingham, Fayette, Richland and Marion, said Livingston.

For more information contact Livingston at 217-238-5701.

Contact Dawn Schabbing at dawn.schabbing@effinghamdailynews.com or 217-347-7151, ext. 138.

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(c)2017 the Effingham Daily News (Effingham, Ill.)

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